Provost: Experiences, Reflections and Advice From a Former Number Two on Campus

What is a Provost—and what does a Provost do?

Don’t look for the answers on the bookshelf. There is scant literature devoted to the Provost-ship – for which the author advances a number of hypotheses – so, until this informal and autobiographical account, there has been little for aspirants or new appointees to draw on for guidance or to provide a feel for what the role entails.

Larry Nielsen offers a highly personal account of his tenure as Provost of North Carolina State University, from h...